Protector for loose leaf binders



Aug. 18, 1931. E. B. MURPHY PROTECTPR FOR LOOSE LEAF BINDERS Filed Oct.5, 1928 2 Sheets-Sheet l vhul i ufl l 1 TTORNEY.

Aug. 18, 1931. E. B. MURPHY 1,818,999

PROTECTOR FOR LOOSE LEAF BINDERS Filed Oct. 5, 1928 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 ATTORNEY.

Patented Aug. 18, 1931 STATES PATENT OFFICE EDWARD B. MURPHY, OF KANSASCITY, MISSOURI, ASSIG-NOR, BY MESNE ASSIGNMENTS,

TO WILSON-J ONES COMPANY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF MASSA-CHUSETTS PROTECTOR FOR LOOSE LEAF BINDERS Application filed October 5,1928. Serial No. 310,537.

This invention relates to protectors for loose leaf binders andespecially to protectors interposed between the cover and thesheetcarrying member when the binder is in the i closed position.

In the present ring and post binders'the parts of the sheet-carryingmember contact with the cover and imbed themselves therein, therebydistorting and disfiguring the cover and the cover lining. This isespecially objectionable in binders having flexible backs,

which when so distorted will. plainly show on the outside of the book tomar its appearance.

I The principal object of the present invention 1s to provide aprotector member which ;is interposed between the sheet-carrying memberand the covers of the binder when the binder is in the closed positionto prevent distortion or disfiguring of the cover.

A further object of this invention is to provide a new article ofmanufacture adapted to be hingedly affixed to a loose leaf binder andinterposed between the leaf-holding member and the covers of the binderwhen the book is in the closed position.

Another object of the invention is to pro- V1de a flexible protectormounted between the cover and sheet-carrying member and features ofconstruction and combination hereinafter set forth, illustrated in theaccompanying drawings and more particularly pointed out in the appendedclaims.

In the drawings Figure 1, is a perspective view, partly broken away, ofa loose leaf binder provided with a protector embodying this invention;

Fig. 2, is an enlarged fragmentary crosssectional view of the bindershown in the closed position;

Fig. 3, is an enlarged fragmentary longitudinal view taken 011 lineIIIIII of Fig. 1;

Fig. 4, is a perspective View of the protector partly broken away;

Fig. 5, is a perspective view of a modified form of the protector;

Fig. 6, is a fragmentary cross-section of a binder with the protectorshown in Fig. 5 in the operative position thereon;

Fig. 7 is a fragmentary cross-section of a binder with the protectorshown in Fig. 5, positioned between the parts of the ring-carryingmember;

Fig. 8, is a modified form of the device showing the protector securedto the cover at the back portion thereof to reinforce and protect saidback portion;

Fig. 9, is a View of binder having a modified form of protector securedto the cover at one side of the sheet-carrying member.

Similar reference characters designate like parts throughout the severalviews and 10 designates the cover and 11 as a whole, the sheet-carryingmember. The latter comprises a plurality of divided rings 12 mounted onparallel plates 13 which extend substantially from end to end of thebook back and are positioned for limited motion in a resilient channel14. A back plate 15 is securely attached to the cover by any suitablemeans and is provided with a series of anchors 16 for securing theleaf-carrying member to the back plate. A resilient cover plate 17 isprovided to protect the working parts ofthe sheet-carrying member.

The loose leaf binder described above is old and well known in the art.Furthermore many other types of loose leaf binders having a cover and asheet-carrying member mlght be used to show the application of thepresent invention.

This invention relates especially to a protector which is adapted foruse in loose leaf binders to protect the cover from distortion caused bythe rigid metal parts of the sheetcarrying member being pressed tightlythereagainst.

The protector 18 has a flexible body member 19' which is illustrated asbeing preferably formed of two layers of fabricwhich are easily formedto fit the binder. The opposite side portions of the protector 18 areprovided 5 ,with resilient members 19 which are disposed between the twolayers of fabric which form the flexible body member 19' and cementedthereto or attached in any other suitable -manner. The two layers offabric lying between the members 19 are secured together in anydesirable manner. It is .apparent that the resilient members 19, whichare shown 7 as rectangular members extending substantially the fulllength of the protector, may be so shaped and positioned on theprotector as to properly position themselves to protect the cover memberof the binder against all protruding parts of the sheet-carrying member,as hereinafter clearly set forth.

The protector 18 is preferably held in proper position in the binder byplacing the middle part of its flexible body between the back plate andthe sheet-carryindgmmember with the resilient portions 19 exten gtherebeyond and being positioned apart therefrom at either side of saidsheet-carrying member.

Openings 20 are formed in the flexible body member to receive theanchors 16.as clearly shown in Fig. 3. Those portions of the protectorextending beyond the sheet-carrying member are free to hinge back andforth between the cover and the sheet-carrying member when the binder isin the open position, but as the binder is moved to the closed positionthe resilient portion of the protectors will be held closely between thecover and the projecting parts of the sheet-carrying member. Theresilient member 19 may be flexed to a certain extent, but when soflexed will 40 support the cover against acute bending that might besuflicient to permanently distort the same. A more rigid plate may beused as a substitute for resilient member 19. Said .plate may be madethicker or so formed as to give it the required rigidity. However it ismore desirable to use the thinner stock so as not to. unnecessarilythicken the binder or interfere with its proper operation.

The modified form shown in Figs. 5 and 6 is provided with elongatedopenings 20 through which the rings of a ring binder may be insertedwhen it is desired to position the protector in a binder that has beenassembled. When the flexible body member has been so positioned on thesheet-carrying member as shown in Fig. 6, the leaves may be inserted inthe rings in the usual manner thereby preventing the accidental removalof said prose tector. I

v Fig. 7, shows the protector shown in Fig. 5 positioned just beneaththe cover plate 17. This requires only the removal of the cover plate 17to place the protector in position,

5 after which the cover plate 17 may be pressed to place therebysecuring the protector against accidental displacement. v

In many cases the hinge portions of the cover are formed by grooving thecover member, as clearly shown in Fig. 8. To protect these grooved hingeportions the protector 18 may be glued or cemented to the cover as shownin Fig. 8 to cover said grooves.

A modified form is shown in Fig. 9 which consists of protector members21 having a flexible portion 22 and a resilient portion 23, the flexibleportion 22 beingsecuredto the cover in any suitable manner, while theresilient portion is free to move between the cover and sheet-carryingmember when the binder is in the opened position.

While I have illustrated and described what is now deemed to constitutethe preferred forms of embodiment of this invention, I desire to reservethe right to make all such formal changes or modications as may fairlyfall within the scope of the appended claims.

What I claim is:

1. In a loose leaf hinder the combination a protector member associatedwith said binder and adapted to position itself between said cover andsheet-carrying member when the binder is in the closed position.

2. In a loose leaf binder, the combination with a cover member and asheet-carrying member; of a protector member hingedly carried by saidbinder and adapted to be interposed between said sheet-carrying memberand cover when the binder is in the closed position.

3. In a loose leaf binder the combination with a cover and asheet-carrying member; of a protector member associated with said binderand movable independently of said cover and sheet-carrying member, andadapted to position itself between said cover and sheet-carrying memberwhen the binder is in the closed position.

4. In a loose leaf binder, the combination with a cover, a back platehaving anchors extending therefrom and a sheet-holding member secured tosaid cover by said anchors; of a protector having a flexible innerportion positioned partly between said back plate and sheet-carrylngmember; and having resilient outer portions extending beyond said backplate and sheet-carryin member to be interposed between said scot-carrying member and cover when the binder is in the closed position.

'5. In a loose leaf hinder, the combination with a cover, a back platehaving upturned anchors carried by said cover and a sheetholding membersecured to said back by means of said anchors; of a protector securedbetween said back plate and sheet-carrying member by said anchors andincluding resilient portions extending beyond said .back

with a cover and a sheet-carrying member, of

member at opposite sides thereof adapted to be moved to a positionbetween said cover and sheet-carrying member as the binder is moved tothe closed position.

6. In a loose leaf binder, the combination with a cover member and asheet-carrying member secured thereto; of a protector positioned betweensaid cover and sheet-carrying member, and including resilient membersadapted to position themselves between the cover and the sheet-carryingmember when the binder is in the closed position.

7. In a loose leaf binder, the combination with a cover having spacedapart hinge members, and a sheet-carrying member carried by said binderbetween said hinge members; of a protector having a flexible centralportion and resilient outer portions, said central portion beingpositioned between said hinge members and the outer resilent portionsbeing adapted to position themselves between said hinge members andsheet-carrying member when the binder is in the closed position.

8. In a loose leaf binder comprising a back portion and cover members, aleaf-retaining mechanism connected to said back portion and comprisingring hooks and a protector member in the form of a separate flapconnected between each cover and said ring books.

9. In a loose leaf binder comprising a pair of cover members and a backportion connecting said cover members, leaf-holding mechanism connectedto said back portion and comprising ring hooks, and a flap flexiblyattached with respect to said leaf-holding mechanism and positionedbetween a cover member and said ring hooks for protecting the covermember therefrom.

In testimony whereof, I hereunto afiix my signature.

EDWARD B. MURPHY.

